Disclaimer: I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. No copyright infringement intended. Please don't sue.
We boarded our plane in Seattle and spent most of the flight talking about what kind of dress I wanted. Alice and Rosalie had already agreed on what kind of dresses they wanted but I was adamant that they make it blue.
We arrived in New York a few hours later to find that the weather was in favor of the Cullen's. Although it was summer, there was still a fair amount of rain in the city. Alice had arranged for a car rental service but was disappointed to find that all that was left was a Cadillac SUV.
"Miss, I specifically made reservations for a Porsche!" Alice was fuming at the fcat that she won't be able to drive a fast car.
"I doubt that a Porsche would be suitable with the traffic jams here in the city," answered the receptionist. Before Alice could say anything else, I decided to cut her off.
"Does it have a tint?" I asked her nicely. She typed something in her computer and frowned at what she found.
"I'm afraid the only cars we have left have presidential tints. With the weather we have these days; it might be perceptibly dark while you're driving."
"That's perfect!" I said a little too enthusiastically. The receptionist gave me a funny look before handing me the claim stub. Alice grumpily signed the receipt while Rosalie just shrugged. Edward told me that she didn't like driving cars that she didn't fix up.
"She does have a point, Alice," I explained. "There's no point in speeding while we're trapped in gridlock." I was a bit relieved that we didn't get a Porsche. It might be nice to drive at a normal pace while we're here in New York. Alice just huffed all the way out front where a valet waited with our rental.
We still had two hours to spare until our appointment with the dressmaker so Alice and Rosalie decided to take me on a mobile sight-seeing trip. Alice drove while Rosalie pointed out some of the historical landmarks we passed. There are no better tour guides than the ones who were actually present when the landmarks were put up.
They took me out to lunch in one of the most expensive restaurants in Manhattan. We weren't exactly dressed to eat there since we were still wearing our travel clothes. With a little batting of her eyelashes, Rosalie got us the best table and service in the house. I felt a little sorry for them after because they had to eat their food so the waiters wouldn't be suspicious.
After lunch, Alice called the boutique to confirm our appointment. As soon as the secretary gave us the go signal, Alice revved up the SUV and sped towards the boutique.
"I can't see what dress you'll be picking, Bella, but I definitely saw the bridesmaids' and they're all fabulous!" chirped Alice as she parked in front of the boutique.
"Why can't you see mine?" I asked curiously as we hopped out of the car.
"Because you keep changing your mind," said Alice. "First I see you in a strapless gown, then you're wearing long sleeves and the last one was you in your underwear. What's that all about?"
"Sorry, I was imagining how to take care of my stage fright. I guess I sort of thought I'd be the one in my underwear instead of the guests." Alice and Rosalie laughed as Alice described her vision of me walking down the aisle in nothing but my bra and panties. I was actually really nervous about everything even thought I was so ready to marry Edward. I never realized how much I cared about the wedding until now. It is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives.
The boutique was part of a massive building that looked a hundred years old but inside it was a whole new era. The main theme of the place was an old rose color with lots of antiques, comfortable chairs and white flowers. The moment we walked in my eyes bulged and I even stopped breathing for a moment. If this was Amsale's boutique, I couldn't even picture what Vera Wang's boutique looked like, if she had one.
Almost everyone was busy but they accommodated all their clients. I saw that almost everyone here looked dressed to impress while we looked like your average Washington locals. Alice and Rosalie did not have much of a problem in that area because they would still look fabulous even if they were dressed in a potato sack.
We were greeted by a few fashion assistants who immediately served us with complementary iced teas. Alice and Rosalie had to decline their offer. I assumed they had had enough from our lunch.
"We're here for the Swan-Cullen appointment," announced Alice. One of the girls nodded and led us into a room which was probably the VIP room.
"How did you get them to even consider making my dress? I mean look at how sophisticated and posh this place is. Not that I'm saying your not, but I would expect that they don't usually let just anyone get an appointment." I was rambling again but I was so excited about today. I thought I'd be miserable the whole way but I really appreciate all the help and effort that my sisters are putting in on our wedding,
"Calm down, Bella." Rosalie chuckled.
"I just gave them my credit card number," explained Alice. "The moment they saw my credit limit, they even offered to fly us here in the company jet." I chuckled at the thought. If only these people knew how rich the Cullen's were, they would definitely agree with me that they could put Bill Gate's net worth to shame. We took our seats as we waited for our dressmaker to arrive. I was a little anxious and a bit scared to see who would be handling one of the most focal parts of my wedding. Suddenly the door burst open to reveal the person who would be taking care of me and my bridesmaids.